A standard communication protocol, for example, any of the IEEE 802.11 protocols, may be used as a basis for communication between a client, or user, and a network. A network, for example, an enterprise network, that may allow access from one or more wireless access points, wired access points, or both, using these protocols may have a need to verify an identity of a client requesting network access. A method may be used, for example, using the IEEE 802.11i protocol, for network discovery and/or identification, and an authentication may occur and may be in accordance with a standard, for example IEEE 802.1X, by which a client may broadcast an identification to access points to enable recognition. However, some of these methods may lack security insofar as at least in the recognition phase, the client and access point communicate over an open, e.g., unencrypted, channel.
Thus, in the IEEE 802.11 standards generally, device identities are not protected during the protocol stages. Some communications methods may attempt to protect identities of clients and/or access points, for example, as described in Improving Wireless Privacy with an Identifier-Free Link Layer Protocol, published in MobySys'08, Jun. 17-20, 2008 (hereinafter “SlyFi”), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, the published SlyFi protocol may have drawbacks. For example, a client may be required to broadcast its unencrypted address and/or identification in the probe/discovery stage, which may be intercepted.
Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding, analogous or similar elements. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.